Brecker has one nomination this year, 17 prior GRAMMY nominations and five prior GRAMMY wins. Pawlik and Kalisz Philharmonic each have one nomination this year, marking their first career GRAMMY nominations, respectively.

Brussels Jazz Orchestra Featuring Joe Lovano, Wild Beauty

Brussels Jazz Orchestra have one nomination this year, marking the first GRAMMY nomination of their career. Lovano has one nomination this year, 11 prior GRAMMY nominations and one prior GRAMMY win.

Alan Ferber, March Sublime

Ferber has one nomination this year, marking the first GRAMMY nomination of his career.

Dave Slonaker Big Band, Intrada

Dave Slonaker Big Band have one nomination this year, marking the first GRAMMY nomination of their career.

Best Latin Jazz Album

Buika, La Noche Más Larga

Buika has one nomination this year, marking the first GRAMMY nomination of her career.

Paquito D'Rivera And Trio Corrente, Song For Maura

D'Rivera has two nominations this year, 13 prior GRAMMY nominations and two prior GRAMMY wins. Trio Corrente have one nomination this year, marking the first GRAMMY nomination of their career.

Roberto Fonseca, Yo

Fonseca has one nomination this year, marking the first GRAMMY nomination of his career.

Omar Sosa, Eggūn

Sosa has one nomination this year, and three prior GRAMMY nominations.

Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet, Latin Jazz-Jazz Latin

Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet have one nomination this year, and one prior GRAMMY nomination.

Who will take home the awards in the Jazz Field categories? Tune in to the 56th Annual GRAMMY Awards on Jan. 26, 2014, taking place at Staples Center in Los Angeles and airing live on CBS from 8–11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

Jazzy Competition

After the high-flying round of jazz nominations for the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards, we find the current batch of Jazz Field nominees to be mostly cozy and familiar.

Veteran jazz musicians such as trumpeter Randy Brecker, bassist Ron Carter, pianists Fred Hersch and Chick Corea, and Kennedy Center Honors Award recipient saxophonist Sonny Rollins are vying for the Best Improvised Jazz Solo GRAMMY. This category has been dominated by trumpeters, saxophonists and pianists since it was first awarded back in 1959. I totally agree with what one of my followers (@davidgolden99) tweeted:

"It's not every year a bass solo gets a #GRAMMY nomination. Congrats to Ron Carter."

The competition for Best Jazz Vocal Album this year is an interesting mix, including a drummer. Three Concord Jazz artists — Karrin Allyson, 2009 GRAMMY winner Kurt Elling and Terri Lyne Carrington — are up against BFM Jazz's Tierney Sutton and Motema Music's Roseanna Vitro. This category created some buzz within the online community:

"You post some of my favorite tweets & although I disagree with some of the nominees, I'm glad The Mosaic Project made it!" (@EighteenAprils)

"I'm a Kurt Elling fan so we'll see! All great artists." (@janellemusic1)

The last GRAMMY up for grabs in the Jazz Field is Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. Similar to last year, this category will be a tough choice. The well-received Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook by Miguel Zenon has stiff competition from the Christian McBride Big Band's The Good Feeling, Randy Brecker With DR Big Band's The Jazz Ballard Song Book, Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra's 40 Acres And A Burro.

Exploring The GRAMMYs' Jazz Field Nominees

Go inside the nominations in the Jazz Field categories for the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards

GRAMMYs

Dec 2, 2014 - 4:06 pm

GRAMMY.com

You've seen the list of nominees, now take a closer look at the artists nominated in the Jazz Field for the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards.

The nominees in the Jazz Field stretch from veteran artists to newcomers, with five-time GRAMMY winner Randy Brecker, 16-time GRAMMY winner Chick Corea, three-time nominee Fred Hersch, and two-time winner Sonny Rollins earning two nominations each. The women of jazz take the lead in the Best Jazz Vocal Album category with previous nominees Karrin Allyson, Terri Lyne Carrington and Tierney Sutton going up against newcomer Roseanna Vitro and GRAMMY winner Kurt Elling.

Best Improvised Jazz Solo

In the Best Improvised Jazz Solo category, seasoned artists mix with a newer crop of jazz luminaries. Tenor saxophone legend and Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Sonny Rollins, whose previous GRAMMY Awards include Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual Or Group for This Is What I Do in 2001, is nominated for "Sonnymoon For Two," from Road Shows Vol. 2. Pianist Chick Corea earned his 56th career GRAMMY nomination for his solo outing on "500 Miles High" from the album Forever, which he recorded with Stanley Clarke and Lenny White. Corea's most recent GRAMMY win came in 2009 for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual Or Group for Five Piece Band — Live. Another jazz veteran on the list is two-time GRAMMY-winning bassist Ron Carter, who is up for his solo on "You Are My Sunshine," from This Is Jazz. Also garnering nominations are well-established jazz mainstays, trumpeter Randy Brecker for "All Or Nothing At All" from The Jazz Ballad Song Book, and pianist Fred Hersch for his solo on "Work," from Alone At The Vanguard.

Best Jazz Vocal Album

The Best Jazz Vocal Album category is dominated by women, who earned four of the five nominations. Percussionist Terri Lyne Carrington showed a strong vocal presence on her eclectic album The Mosaic Project. This is the second GRAMMY nomination of her career, following her nod for Best Jazz Fusion Performance for her 1989 debut, Real Life Story. Three-time GRAMMY nominees Karrin Allyson and Tierney Sutton are also in the running, the latter garnering a nod for her eclectic and American music-geared concept album, American Road. Allyson is nominated for her ballad-heavy project 'Round Midnight. Roseanna Vitro, a celebrated vocalist who released her debut album in 1982, earns her first GRAMMY nomination for her jazz-flavored ode to a pop songwriting icon, The Music OfRandy Newman. Kurt Elling, up for his album The Gate, is no stranger to the GRAMMY Awards. Elling has received nine nominations previously, and won his first GRAMMY in 2009 in this category for Dedicated To You: Kurt Elling Sings The Music Of Coltrane And Hartman.

Best Jazz Instrumental Album

Partly because the blend of improvisation and content is a key factor in jazz, three of the Best Improvised Jazz Solo nominees this year are also present in the Best Jazz Instrumental Album category. Corea, who reunited with his old fusion band allies from Return To Forever, Clarke and White, for an acoustic jazz mode, is up for Forever. For Hersch, piano has been the instrument of choice and the source of his long strong reputation as an artist, educator and bandleader. He is nominated for his solo piano album Alone At The Vanguard. Rollins captures his second nomination for the latest installment in his series of live albums, Road Shows Vol. 2. Tenor saxist Joe Lovano and Us Five reach back a few generations to pay tribute to the late Charlie Parker on Bird Songs. Up-and-coming pianist Gerald Clayton, son of big band leader John Clayton, scored a nod for Bond: The Paris Sessions. The lone band nominated in the category are two-time GRAMMY winners Yellowjackets. The fusion quartet are up for their album Timeline.

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

In this category, the nominees vary in age and experience across several decades. Six-time GRAMMY nominee Gerald Wilson has been a stalwart West Coast-based pillar of the big band scene dating back to the '50s, lending credence to the title of his nominated album with the Gerald Wilson Orchestra, Legacy. Lauded Puerto Rican-born alto saxist/composer Miguel Zenón has graduated from emerging to established artist, and has expanded the ensemble scope for his nominated album, Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook. The Latin jazz element is also strongly represented in 40 Acres And A Burro, from Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, a band that grew out of the group led by O'Farrill's father, Chico O'Farrill. Arturo O'Farrill previously won a GRAMMY for Best Latin Jazz Album for his tribute to his father, 2008's Song For Chico. GRAMMY-winning bassist and gifted bandleader Christian McBride earned a nod for his foray into the big band world, The Good Feeling, with the Christian McBride Big Band. Tapping into the riches and opportunities of the legendary European big band scene, trumpeter Brecker earned his large ensemble moment in the sun with The Jazz Ballad Song Book, featuring the DR Big Band.

Who will take home the awards in the Jazz Field categories? Tune in to the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 12, taking place at Staples Center in Los Angeles and airing live on CBS from 8–11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

The rich lineage of GRAMMY-winning jazz artists has since included the likes of Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, Oscar Peterson, Wes Montgomery, Miles Davis, Pat Metheny, Esperanza Spalding, and Gregory Porter, to name a few.

Today, the Jazz Field spans five categories — Best Improvised Jazz Solo, Best Jazz Vocal Album, Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album, and Best Latin Jazz Album.

Leading the 60th GRAMMY Awards Jazz Field are pianist Fred Hersch and saxophonist Chris Potter, with two nominations each.

Learn more about this year's Jazz Field with nine interesting tidbits about the nominees.

1. First-Time Nominees In The Mix

Notching their first respective GRAMMY nominations this year are violinist Sara Caswell, the Baylor Project's Jean Baylor, Dallas native Jazzmeia Horn, and New Mexico's Raul Midón. Caswell is up for Best Improvised Jazz Solo for "Can't Remember Why." The Baylor Project, Horn and Midón are vying for Best Jazz Vocal Album for The Journey, A Social Call and Bad Ass And Blind, respectively.

2. Fred Hersch's Dozen

With 10 prior GRAMMY nominations to his credit, Fred Hersch's two current nods for Best Improvised Jazz Solo for "Whisper Not" and Best Jazz Instrumental Album for Open Book represent his 11th and 12th career nominations. The Cincinnati-born pianist was first nominated for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Individual Or Group for "Dancing In The Dark" at the 36th GRAMMY Awards. Will Hersch land his first career GRAMMY this year?

3. Christian McBride, Vince Mendoza: Top Winners

Bassist Christian McBride and composer Vince Mendoza & WDR Big Band Cologne are among the nominees for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album for Bringin' It and Homecoming, respectively. The veterans are the top decorated winners in the Jazz Field, with each having five prior GRAMMY wins. Mendoza has another shot for his sixth (and potential seventh) GRAMMY with a nomination for Best Instrumental Composition in the Composing/Arranging Field.

4. 70 Is The New 40

A couple of respected septuagenarians have landed 60th GRAMMY nominations. At 77 years old, jazz singer Nancy King is up for Best Jazz Vocal Album for Porter Plays Porter with the Randy Porter Trio, marking her second career nomination. Turning 76 in January, guitar virtuoso John McLaughlin and his band, the 4th Dimension, are in the running for Best Improvised Jazz Solo for "Miles Beyond," a track from his 2017 album, Live @ Ronnie Scott's.

5. The Baylor Project: A Musical "Marriage"

Jean Baylor (vocalist) and Marcus Baylor (drums) are not only musical partners, they are husband and wife. Born in New Jersey, first-time nominee Jean Baylor studied vocal performance at Temple University where she formed the '90s R&B duo Zhané with classmate Renée Neufville. Meanwhile, three-time past GRAMMY nominee Marcus Baylor is a former member of GRAMMY winners the Yellowjackets. Up for Best Jazz Vocal Album, The Journey marks the Baylor Project's debut album.

6. Sara Caswell's Bid To Make History

At 39, Caswell is this year's youngest nominee for Best Improvised Jazz Solo. The Indiana-born violinist is vying to become the first female in GRAMMY history to win this category, which dates back to the 15th GRAMMY Awards. Caswell is a former member of Best New Artist winner Esperanza Spalding's Chamber Music Society ensemble.

7. Cécile McLorin Salvant's Streak

With a current nomination for her third studio album, Dreams And Daggers, Cécile McLorin Salvant has scored Best Jazz Vocal Album GRAMMY nominations for each of her first three career studio albums. Her debut was nominated at the 56th GRAMMY Awards and her sophomore effort, For One To Love, took the prize at the 58th GRAMMY Awards.

8. Miles In Common

What do Joey DeFrancesco, John Beasley and John McLaughlin have in common? Each has a tie to the legendary Miles Davis. Organist DeFrancesco was asked to join Davis' touring band at age 17 and he recorded on his 1989 album, Amandla. Pianist Beasley started playing live with Davis in the late '80s. McLaughlin recorded multiple albums with Davis, including 1969's Bitches Brew (GRAMMY Hall Of Fame, 1999).

9. Canada's High Jazz Civilian Jane Bunnett

Afro-Cuban jazz saxophonist, flautist and bandleader Jane Bunnett will celebrate 30 years since her debut album, 1988's In Dew Time, in 2018. Her current nomination for Best Latin Jazz Album for Oddara marks her third career nod. In 2004 the Torontonian was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada, the highest civilian honor given in The Great White North.

Summer Is For Jazz Festivals

Do you want to hear some great jazz? Conventional wisdom would suggest that you need to visit New York to see jazz in all of its glory. But, if you want to see live jazz and get the biggest bang for your hard-earned buck, you should check out a jazz festival. It doesn't matter where you're located or how big (or small) your budget is, there is likely a cool jazz event happening in a town or city near you.

The 36th Annual Atlanta Jazz Festival will kick off during Memorial Day weekend, May 25–27, in Piedmont Park. Fans will be able to enjoy the music of BWB (a super group comprising Rick Braun and GRAMMY winners Kirk Whalum and Norman Brown featuring special guest GRAMMY winner Chrisette Michele), bassist Meshell Ndegeocello, saxist Tia Fuller, and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire's quintet. The festival will also highlight up-and-coming artists such as vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant and pianist/composer Aaron Diehl with his quartet.

Over on the West Coast you can find more live music to savor at the 15th Annual Healdsburg Jazz Festival in Sonoma County in California. This year's 10-day schedule (May 31–June 9) includes a two-day tribute to 2013 Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Charlie Haden, featuring performances by multi-instrumentalist/composer Carla Bley, Haden's Quartet West with special guest GRAMMY nominee Ravi Coltrane, alto saxist Lee Konitz, guitarist Bill Frisell, and pianist Geri Allen, among others. Additional artists scheduled to perform during the festival include GRAMMY-nominated African-American a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey In The Rock, saxist/flautist Charles Lloyd and pianist Jason Moran, the Sylvia Cuenca Trio, and the Marcus Shelby Orchestra and HJF Freedom Jazz Choir.

If you are north of the U.S. border, don't worry. On June 28 Canada residents will enjoy the beginning of the International Jazz Festival in Montreal. Through July 7, the festival will feature an array of legendary musical talent, including GRAMMY winners Aretha Franklin, George Benson, Wynton Marsalis, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, among others.

The following event should not be missed: saxist/composer and multi-GRAMMY winner Wayne Shorter will celebrate his 80th birthday during the Montreal jazz festival with a star-studded performance with Danilo Perez, John Patitucci, Brian Blade, Joe Lovano, and the Dave Douglas Quintet. Also set to perform are ACS: Allen, Carrington, Spalding, which will feature pianist Geri Allen and GRAMMY winners drummer Terri Lyne Carrington and bassist Esperanza Spalding.

If you decide to fit a jazz festival into your summer plans this year, you are sure to hear fantastic music, meet cool people and enjoy great food, too.

Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy.